Terror Thoughts
by FanFicWriter95
Summary: Emma Turner 6. Something is going on in Poplar, and Emma is right in the middle of it.
1. Chapter 1

Emma frowned. She blinked to clear the fog from her mind. She turned around in bed, looking at her bedside table. The clock read 11.

11? Emma sat up straight in bed. She was so late. She threw off the covers and rushed out of bed. She threw on her clothes, stuffing her uniform into her backpack. She ran down the stairs.

The house sounded empty. Too empty. She called out. "Mum? Dad?" There was no reply. For good measure, she tried the others. "Tim? Angela?" Again, nothing but silence greeted her.

Emma frowned. Had they switched the days around? Forgotten that she was supposed to work at Nonnatus House today? She shrugged, grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl, and headed to the door. If she walked fast, she could just about make in it time for the afternoon home visits.

Emma walked the familiar road to Nonnatus House. Usually, she enjoyed the scenery. Today, she rushed down the streets until she came upon the courtyard. She smiled. Even the sight of the building helped raise her spirits.

Emma pushed open the heavy wooden door. And almost collided with Nurse Crane.

"What are you doing here?" Nurse Crane demanded.

"I'm sorry." Emma said. "I know I should have been here a few hours ago, but I overslept… or my parents forgot or something,… But I'm here now, and I'm ready to work." She smiled at the nurse.

"We've told you this before, you don't belong here."

Emma swallowed. "I know I was supposed to help at the doctor's office this morning, but this afternoon I was supposed to help with house calls."

Nurse Crane shook her head. "You're not a midwife. You're not even a real nurse. We have no use for you here."

Emma felt as if she had been slapped. What was Nurse Crane talking about? She stammered something, but Nurse Crane talked right over her.

"Don't you get it, girl? We don't want you here."

Tears formed in Emma's eyes. She was too shocked to reply.

Nurse Crane pushed her out of the hall, and slammed the door in her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Tears streamed down Emma's face. She must have looked a mess, but right now she didn't care. All she wanted were her parents.

Emma knew her father would be at the doctor's practice. Her mother wasn't at Nonnatus House, so it's likely she will be there too. Emma nodded. Yes, that's where she will go.

She walked the short distance to the doctor's office, her head bend to the floor. She didn't want anyone seeing her like this. She pushed through the door in a hurry, almost toppling over in her haste

Miss Higgins looked at her crossly. "What's the meaning of this? Calm yourself, girl."

Emma blushed. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "I need to speak to my dad."

"You need to, huh?" Miss Higgins asked, raising her eyebrows.

Emma blushed even brighter, aware of the interested patients listening to their conversation. She swallowed. "Would it be possible to speak to my dad?"

Miss Higgins nodded her head. "That's better." She slowly got up. "I will go and see if he is available."

Emma smiled her thanks.

Emma shifted on her feet, throwing a polite smile to the patients waiting for their turn.

Miss Higgins came back, shaking her head. "Your father doesn't have time for you." The secretary said. She sat back down behind the desk. "Now, if you don't mind, I have better things to do than talk to you."

Emma swallowed. Her face was heating up. She left the practice, not looking at the patients sitting on the chairs. The patients' whispers follow her through the door.

Outside the doctor's office Emma stood still. Her heart was beating fast in her chest. She didn't know where to go. She knew where she wanted to go, home. Emma shook her head. There was no reason why she couldn't go home. So she started to walk the familiar road back home.

She arrived at the house, and Emma smiled. The light was on. Her mother was home. She let out a breath of relief. Everything would be fine, now.

Emma opened the door and was met with an angry Shelagh.

"Where have you been?" Her mother demanded. "There is laundry to iron, dinner to make, and the garden needs to be weeded."

Emma was too shocked to reply.

The woman in front of her wasn't her mother. It couldn't be. Her mother was kind, and loving. This woman in front of her was mean.

Shelagh advanced on the teenage girl. "Do your jobs." She said. The woman picked up the iron and held it out to Emma.

Emma looked between the woman and the iron board. Sweat started to pour down her back. As Shelagh raised the hand holding the iron, Emma bolted and ran.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma didn't know where she was running to, all she knew was that she needed to get away from her house. She ran towards the park, hoping that there, she would be able to be alone.

She stopped running as she reached the park. She looked around, for a quiet place, when her eyes spotted a familiar figure, sitting on a bench. Emma sighed with relief. "Mary."

The figure on the bench turned to look at her.

"Mary, please. You have to help me." Emma begged. "No one else…" She swallowed hard. "They seem to think I'm no good." She shook her head. "Something's wrong."

Mary frowned at her.

For a moment, Emma was afraid her friend was going to hate her too. But then the other girl nodded her head.

"You're going to help me?" Emma asked, shocked but very relieved.

Mary shrugged her shoulders. "I knew you were trouble." She smiled at the other girl. "Remember? We met in detention."

Emma shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't deny that.

"My family hates me, Mary. What am I going to do?"

The other girl shrugged. "Run away?"

"What?" Emma frowned. Did she hear that right?

"Run away with me." Mary repeated, forcefully this time. "We'll leave tonight."

Emma swallowed, thinking of her parents. In normal circumstance, she wouldn't even be considering it, but now …

"Okay." Emma said, nodding her head. She didn't have to think about it any longer. "Let's go then." She swallowed hard, thinking of all that she would leave behind. Her heart broke. But her family had made their decision. And so she would make hers.

Emma didn't bother going back to the house to get her things. She never wanted to set foot in that place again.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma looked back at the hill and the city that lay behind it. She was never going to see her family again. She wiped away a stray tear, before turning, and following her friend into the forest.

The two girls had been walking for quite a while, when they reached the clearing.

The girl next to her froze, and Emma frowned. She turned to see what her friend was looking at. A cold shiver ran down Emma's back.

Two men stood on the edge of the clearing. Their faces hidden by the shadows of the trees. They were dressed in black, from head to toe. Something about their stance made Emma pause. Had she seen them before? Did she knew who they were?

The men moved, slowly, in to the clearing.

Both girls stood frozen in their fear. Emma wanted to run, but her legs didn't want to obey her. She looked at the men, desperate for a way out. And that's when she noticed the gun.

Fear gripped at her heart. Suddenly, her legs sprang into action. She rushed forward, wanting to stop the men.

The gun goes off, and Emma falls down on the floor.

Mary's screams echoed in Emma's mind, as everything goes black.


	5. Chapter 5

Emma opened her eyes. She could still hear the screams. It took her a moment to realise it was her, who was screaming.

Patrick and Shelagh rushed into the room.

"Please don't be angry with me." Emma begged. "Not you too."

Her parents look at each other in worry.

"Shh." Her mother shushed her, sitting down next to her on the bed. "It was just a bad dream." She leaned closer, and Emma flinched.

"Don't hit me, please. I promise I'll be good."

Shelagh swallowed hard as she looked from Emma to her, equally as worried, husband. She cradled her distraught daughter in her arms.

Emma tried to resist the hug, but soon sank in to the contact. Her sobs trembled through her whole body. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Her dream reminded her of what her life used to look like. Back in 2018.

"You all hated me." Emma cried out.

"We could never hate you, dear." Shelagh said, close to tears herself. She didn't know what to say to make her child feel better.

Patrick sat down on the bed, next to his wife. He spoke in soft tones to his daughter. "You had a nightmare, Emma. Whatever you saw, however it made you feel, it wasn't real. None of it was real."

Emma had calmed down at her father's words. She took a few deep breaths.

Her father continued. "We love you, Emma. We could never hate you. You're our daughter."

Emma sniffed. "You promise?" Her voice sounded more scared than she would have liked to admit.

Patrick smiled. "I promise."

Emma nodded, and wriggled in her mother's arms. She moved just far enough to lay her head down on her father's shoulder. "Okay. I believe you." And she did.

Shelagh kissed her daughter on the forehead. She waited a moment, to make sure Emma had stopped crying. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

Emma shook her head. "I just want to stay here, like this."

Shelagh smiled. "Of course." She was perfectly content holding her daughter close.

"And just so you know," Patrick added. "You can come to us anytime."

Emma nodded. She knew that. She just didn't want to think about her dream. If she doesn't think about it, she can pretend it never happened.

Emma wanted to stay in their arms for a lot longer, but her eyes were starting to droop. Patrick noticed and smiled. "Why don't you lay back down?" He suggested.

Emma nodded, and reluctantly untangling herself from her parents, she crawled back under her covers. She looked over at her parents. "Will you stay?" Emma asked hesitantly.

"Of course." Shelagh replied. "We'll be right here."

And, in the comforting presence of her parents, Emma finally allowed herself to relax, and was soon fast asleep.


End file.
